• Published 21st Apr 2014
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Sparkle's No. 1 Assistant - Wanderer D

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Loyalty Mission 5: Derpy's Quest Pt. 9

Sparkle's No. 1 Assistant

Loyalty Mission 5: Derpy's Quest Pt. 9

By Wanderer D

"Huh. It looks like a tiny citadel."

"Approaching ship, please identify yourself," the speakers in the cockpit said, the voice unknown.

"I've got this," Twilight said. "This is the Earth Alliance ship Normandy S2, requesting clearance for landing."

"Uh… come again?"

"This is the SSV Normandy, S2. This is Commander Twilight, Specter, requesting permission to land."

EDI looked up from her seat. "Sending identification codes."

There was a pause.

"Holy shit! I mean, uh… roger that, Commander. Please wait for confirmation."

"You're enjoying this too much," Wrex said.

"Am I? Am I really, Wrex?" Twilight asked, grinning.

"Normandy, this is Director Tann speaking. I have secured a landing dock for you. I will meet you there."

"I have received landing coordinates, Commander," EDI said. "Docking procedures engaged."

"Do you think they have a bar in there, Wrex?"

"Still feeling the ale, are you?"

"I could always drink more."

"Focus," Octavia said from the door behind them. "Dinky first, fun later."

"Right, right."

Initiative Director Tann was definitely not ready for this. Sure, he had grown much more comfortable with his sudden rise to power, but every detail that he didn't anticipate could cost lives and delay progress.

And there was nothing anticipated about the warship that was currently landing on his deck. It was easily as advanced as the Tempest, but unlike the exploration ship, it was armed enough to blow up most of the station if this Commander Twilight so desired.

The fact was, the ship shouldn't be there. That was Commander Shepard's ship. It was supposed to be in another galaxy, and at least six hundred years away. In the past. Initial scans had passed all possible checks, but their cyberwarfare software was ages beyond what even SAM could apparently hack.

If that damned AI would at least speak to him it would make things easier, but it had an undying loyalty to Ryder and chances were the Pathfinder would find out what was really going on long before he did.

"Nervous, Number Eight?"

Tann pressed his lips, ignoring the jab. "I will appreciate it, Kesh, if you keep your sense of humor to yourself when our guests arrive." He stretched a little. "I have never met a Specter."

The krogan merely smiled, and he reminded himself that krogan sense of humor or not, she held the same concerns as he did for the benefit of all. He owed her more than he would ever admit—if a high-ranking Salarian ever said something like that to a Krogan… he shook his head. Hopefully she'd keep quiet.

"I don't like it." Tiran Kandros was the next to speak, the turian glowering at the docking spaceship. "I don't like it," he repeated, hand twitching.

"Wow. Something the Head of Security doesn't trust," Addison muttered. "What a surprise."

"I recall you giving the Pathfinder a hard time," Kandros replied, giving her a look. "And she was from the Initiative too. This is the SSV Normandy we're talking about, and we just had someone identify themselves as a Specter with no way for us to confirm that other than their word and the IDs provided…"

"It's been six hundred years, Kandros," Kesh said softly, "I don't think we'll see any of Shepard's crew in there, much less the Commander himself. Tann said it was a different person that called in… a Commander Twilight?"

They all looked his way and Tann wished they would just acknowledge the fact that he knew as little as they did. "Regardless, we are not under Citadel supervision, so Specter or not, Commander Twilight will have to abide by our rules while here."

He could have sworn he saw Kandros cringe.

"Fine," the turian said, grimacing. "I'll inform security."

The group turned to look at the Normandy as the ship's hatch opened and lowered, allowing for several creatures to step out. Some familiar… some not so much. Tann felt his stomach lurch at the sheer amount of paperwork that awaited him now.

"Well," Kesh chuckled. "Who knew we'd have a new species involved? I hope you prepared the first encounter files already."

Coming out of the ship were creatures like nothing he'd ever seen, alongside a large krogan. Most of them were quadrupeds, although there were obvious differences among them. Such as a horn, or lack of it, or wings, or lack of them. The silver robot with them was also a first, although not something he hadn't seen before… or at least similar enough.

Commander Twilight—wearing an adapted N7 armor—was wearing led her entourage down the hatch, all of them loosely marching around one of the quadrupeds that had both, wings and a horn, as well as waving hair made of stars.

Sparkle seem to study all of them, then turned to look at Kandros. "I'm Commander Sparkle, thank you for letting us land in your station."

"And I'm Director Tann," he hissed a bit more annoyed than he should be, making her turn to stare at him. "And these are my subordinates, Kandros, head of security" he motioned at each, "Superintendent Kesh, and Foster, Director of Colonial Affairs." he finished. "On behalf of the Nexus, I bid you welcome."

"Ah, Director," she smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, no doubt. Allow me to introduce my companions. This is Urdnot Wrex," she said, making Kesh gasp, "EDI," the robot, "Derpy," wings, weird eyes, "Octavia," no wings, armored and armed, "and representing my planet and species, Princess Luna."

"A pleasure to meet you," Princess Luna said, her voice commanding and royal. It surprised Tan for a moment, reminding him a bit of his own clan Dalatrass back in Sur'Kesh. She sounded both old and young, and her disposition was slightly challenging. He already liked her. Twilight, however reminded him too much of the Pathfinder.

"Wrex, Director Tann is giving me an odd look, is that how Salarians glower?"

"Salarians don't glower, Twilight, they just gape."

"Twilight, Wrex" Luna spoke up, "Please be respectful, we are the first ponies they have met, it's only natural that they all would be surprised."

"Yes, there is much to discuss," Foster said, eyes narrowing, "for example how you got here, and whether you intend to lay claim to any territories."

Luna glanced at her. "Prithee keep your attempts at intimidation for a more appropriate time, director. We assure you Equestria has no intention of populating your galaxy." She shrugged. "There are plenty of them in the sky, as the saying goes, and all within reach of Equestria."

Tann wasn't entirely certain Princess Luna understood the magnitude of what she had just told them, but considering Kandros and Kesh's look of utter amazement at this Wrex individual—and the name did sound familiar, now that he thought about it—it was possible they were all in for a few surprises indeed. However, she had shut up Foster more effectively than anyone else had done without having to terraform a bunch of planets.

"Right, why don't you come with me?" Tann said, his voice sounding weak to himself. "We can discuss your reason for being here."

"I am very curious," Kandros admitted, giving their guests wary looks. "You did not come with our ships, obviously, so how did you get here?"

Wrex smiled. "Magic."

"Right," Kandros growled. "Magic. What are you doing here?"

"We're looking for someone," Commander Sparkle said, and something nagged at Tann's mind. He could almost see it coming. "Derpy's kid was kidnapped by pirates from your Galaxy," she said, "but they were defeated and she was picked up by someone called the Pathfinder."

And there it was.

"Shit."



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